Category Archives: Discounts and Deals

The Sample Sale Guys

EXECUTIVE HOTEL

7311 Westminster Hwy, Richmond,BC

Mar 25 – Mar 28 2014

Tues 25th 11AM-MIDNIGHT
Wed 26th 11AM-MIDNIGHT
Thurs 27th 11AM-10PM
Fri 28th 11AM-8PM

Mobil 1 Lube Express in Richmond

So a friend of mine gave me a voucher – $19 for premium oil change and 25 point inspection (a $78 value). It’s a long No.3 road in Richmond, right across from Landsdowne Station. With a very small entrance, it’s easy to miss. I’m glad that I had familiarized myself with Google street view to see what was around it so I knew what the area would look like. Also, there was a guy waving a sign to the oncoming traffic. Wah…must be hot with the summer sun blazing down onto him…

The guy who greeted me was friendly, he told me to park behind a vehicle that was being serviced and said that it would be about a 15 minute wait. I was already happy to come to Mobil instead of Autobot – another voucher for oil change that I had bought. The one guy was friendly, and no appointment was necessary. Last year with Autobot, I needed to drop it off and take the skytrain home, and do the same to come pick up. This year, when I called in to make an appointment, they said that since I was only able to come in on Saturday, my appointment would be 4 weeks away! With Mobil 1 Lube Express, it was serviced right away, and could drive off with a repaired car. How convenient!

The guy doing my service was really hard to understand. He had a higher voice, and talked fast – perhaps unclear. I was also nervous because when it came to cars, I didn’t know much. I know how to check my oil level, fill it up, add coolants and fill gas, but that was about it. I stumbled whenever a question was asked about the car.

As he inspected, the bill grew bigger and bigger. I needed to replace my transmission, flush out my oil, this and that, coming to a total of $210. Because I don’t know much about cars, I can’t say if I’m being scammed or something. But the staff did show me the parts and explained why it needed changing or renewing. But most auto repair places have been good. And when 2 places tell you the same thing (not like you need to change your oil, or something generic), but the same specific problems, then you know you have a problem that needs fixing.

I drive my car to work and back 5 days a week, so I figured $210 was reasonable, and it’s just good to know that the car is in good working condition, especially since the car was already 16 years old, and for the first decade, it was never routinely checked or serviced.

Perhaps the guy could sense my unwillingness to pay $210…he suggested that I keep the receipt with all the details on what was done to the car, so that if I do bring the car back, or take it elsewhere and they say that I need another transmission change, I can prove to them that it was already done recently.

Because I had a bit more replacing and cleaning to do, it took longer than other people, but still around 30-40 minutes. Not bad. I rather wait for that amount of time than be without the use of a car.

Unfortunately, I can’t return the Autobot voucher…but it will be the last time, since now that I know about Mobil, I’m certainly going back again to Mobil

Ebay Shopping

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So a few years ago, I discovered Amazon (even though it has existed for much longer), and found that most books (since I was in school) were way cheaper than buying at retail stores. As long as I ordered more than $25, the shipping was free. Since then, I haven’t bought books in stores. I haven’t really bought other products from them, though they have a huge variety of items ranging from home decor, electronics, fashionable accessories and so on. I must admit that the variety is much larger in the US. (Amazon.com)

Anyways, an year ago, I needed inkjet cartridges for my printer. I was tired of paying $50-60 for ink…at times, it seemed like it was way cheaper to buy an entire new inkjet – totally not eco-friendly.Anyways, I thought I’d check out eBay. I was surprised to find so many items, and most shockingly, at really ridiculously cheap prices. I found my ink cartridge for $15, shipping included.

I’ve bought SLR camera lens/body cover for only $1.50 (shipping included)…uh…isn’t the postage the cost of that? especially since it’s coming all the way from China? I honestly don’t know how they make any profit. One guy wouldn’t believe me. He kept thinking it was some scam. That eBay was full of fraud. I reassured him that I had ordered from many different sellers through eBay, and so far, no problems.

The great thing about eBay is that there’s a lot of competition (well, good from the consumer point of view), so the prices are competitive. I can find a lot of items with free shipping which is always bonus. You also get a whole different range of choices to choose from. Recently I wanted to buy a notebook cover. Futureshop and Bestbuy sold them for about $50, and they were all really boring. Grey or black, seemed bulky and masculine. Nothing cute, targeted for females it seemed. I was able to get a brand new one for $10 ($2 shipping) with simple sakura flowers. I simply love it.

Another great thing is the auction method. Now there are pros and cons to this. Many items are sold as ‘buy now’ price, meaning that if the seller list the item for $5, then you buy it for $5 – no delays. Some other items may have the option for auction or only auction purchase. In this case, the seller set the minimum amount they would sell it for. Interested buyers will bid for how much they’d be willing to pay for that particular item. If no one else wants the item, and you are the highest bidder, you get to buy the product for the price you bid for. If you got it for really cheap, that’s a bargain. However, sometimes, bidders can get competitive, becoming blind to the fact that in the end, they may be bidding higher than what you can get as ‘buy now’ or even in retail. Also, there is a time limit, so you’d have to wait till the time period is over until you can purchase it. It may take up to a month. You’d also have to keep checking to see if you’re on top of every other bidder, so it can get time consuming and frustrating.

I recently bought a SLR camera, which came with a camera bag. It was too big and bulky for my purpose, so I sold it, and ordered a red stylish one for about $22. I can use it as a purse too.

Over Christmas, I received a new Samsung Galaxy Nexus as a gift. The cell phone covers are sold for $12-20 at cell phone providers’ stores. Outrageous. I bought a pink/red one for $1.70 (shipping included). Ok, so it takes 2-3 weeks, but since I had another cover for backup, I wasn’t in a hurry. The guy who was suspisious of eBay also ordered one too, even though he had just bought one from the store. However, the store only sold rigid plastic covers and we wanted the flexible ones. All I can say is that he’s also into eBay buying too. LOL

Phone cover for only $1.70!!! Shipping included!!!

The white shoulder bag was a bit of a disappointment… it came wrapped in a black garbage bag, and it had already left black marks on the strap. It easily got rubbed, and after a few uses, the back side is black from rubbing against my clothes. But it was around $10, so some things, you I guess you get what you paid for.

So if you haven’t already, check out eBay. It’ll save you a lot of money. Shipping usually takes 3-4 weeks if they’re coming in from Asia – which a lot of items are…so if you’re planning to get something for a friend, order early! Be warned, if you’re like one of my other friend who’s gotten a bit addicted to it, and has become somewhat of a eBay shopaholic…oh oh…otherwise, have fun and enjoy shopping!